5 Most Visible Short-Term Effects of Marijuana Use on Your Brain

Every pot consumer can
confirm that marijuana influences their brain activity. The herb
makes people experience a high or at least a temporary mood
improvement. It also can change your heart rate, memory state, and
attention level. But what does science say about the short-term
effects of marijuana use on your brain?

People begin to feel the
effects of marijuana shortly after usage. For instance, if you smoke
weed flowers, the high starts in 15 minutes. But if you eat pot
edibles, it takes from half an hour to two hours for them to
activate. At the same time, weed concentrates provide an almost
immediate effect.

So, here are the five most
visible effects of the traditional “high” with their scientific
explanations.

1. High Spirits

Scientists have found evidence
that marijuana compounds known as cannabinoids can directly stimulate
the generation of neurotransmitters responsible for mood improvement.
Though THC is famous for its psychoactive effect, CBD also
interacts
with the receptors that generate serotonin in the central nervous
system. Serotonin elevates your mood and makes you feel happy and
uplifted.

Cannabinoids also trigger the production of dopamine,
according to another
study.
This neurotransmitter plays an essential role in experiencing such
feelings as euphoria and pleasure. It also improves concentration and
attention.

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2. Memory Impairment

Marijuana use has long been associated with memory
impairment, but let us find out how exactly weed affects our ability
to memorize. A recent long-term
study
discovered that chronic marijuana users were more susceptible to
age-related memory impairment than their non-smoking peers.

During the study, researchers conducted a verbal
memory test for participants who were pot users and non-users. The
findings showed that in marijuana users, the ability to remember
reduced by one word per each five years of weed consumption.

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3. Changes in Attention
and Concentration

Marijuana can differently affect your attention and
concentration depending on the strain and dose you use. Thus, a
moderate portion of the right pot will improve your focus and
attention, while a high dose of another kind of marijuana may make
you disoriented.

Scientists assume that weed effects change your
visual selective attention. Thus,
a
2010 crossover trial
conducted as a double-blind and
placebo-controlled study found that high THC doses led to a decrease
in brain's attentional and processing resources for several hours.

The study subjects randomly smoked marijuana
cigarettes with four different doses of THC.

After four days of weed consumption, participants
were asked to pass a test on selective attention. The results
revealed that the high-THC users received worse scores than placebo
smokers. Moreover, there was a direct correlation between increased
THC dose and decreased visual attention.

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Though latest cannabis studies show the positive effect of marijuana on the brain, there are still many misconceptions about cannabis possibly damaging the brain activity. To dispel your doubts on this issue, MJ Wellness has prepared a list of seven science-backed reasons why cannabis is beneficial for your brain.

4. Sleepiness

There are many reasons why marijuana use makes
consumers sleepy. One of them is that weed is a tranquilizer,
and scientific evidence supports this explanation.

Marijuana-related trials
and preclinical
studies
assume that CBD effects somehow reduce
excessive brain activity. Moreover, recent
research
has found that positive effects of CBD and THC can mitigate epileptic
seizures.

Researchers have also discovered that THC interacts
with the human
endocannabinoids
that control the circadian rhythm, which is also known as the body's
natural clock. Thus, marijuana can tell us when it is time to go to
sleep.

A 2010 animal study
revealed that marijuana treatment could change the natural circadian
rhythm. A further study conducted on humans confirmed that chronic
pot use improved our sleep and wake cycle.

Marijuana for Insomnia, or How Cannabis Influences Your Sleep

Many of us already know about the usefulness of consuming medical marijuana for pain alleviation. However, cannabis is a versatile plant that can be a part of treatment for various conditions. One of the most useful effects of weed is its impact on our sleep.

5. Reduced Pain

Both medical and recreational users often consume pot
for managing their
chronic
pain
. This trend is especially popular among aged consumers.
Numerous studies found that nerve cells that provide pain signals to
the brain have
cannabinoid
receptors
.

A marijuana-related study
on animals found that rats impaired with pot left their tail on a hot
plate longer than other rats. Researchers discovered that the brain's
main pathways of pain signals were full of cannabinoid receptors, so
when these receptors were activated with marijuana compounds rats
became less sensitive to pain.

Other Visible Short-Term Effects

Besides these five most visible effects, there may
also be other short-term reactions of your brain:

Though latest cannabis studies show the positive effect of marijuana on the brain, there are still many misconceptions about cannabis possibly damaging the brain activity. To dispel your doubts on this issue, MJ Wellness has prepared a list of seven science-backed reasons why cannabis is beneficial for your brain.

While American states are rushing to legalize marijuana use, a recent study has discovered that chronic cannabis consumers have poor blood circulation in the brain areas that are usually damaged by Alzheimer's disease.